Prairies are complicated spaces, filled with plants, insects, mammals and microbial life, all competing and collaborating. Perhaps that is why so many books that I’ve read about creating prairie-style spaces (often called natural garden design or matrix planting) leave my head spinning. Benjamin Vogt’s soon-to-be-released book, Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design, offers prairie garden design and installation…
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Serviceberries are my new favorite fruit for cold-climate gardeners to grow. They are easy to grow, tasty and don’t seem to be bothered by insects or disease—though birds will fight you for the harvest. Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.) can be grown as a multi-stemmed, tall shrub or a single-stemmed tree. Several species are native to Minnesota and all of them offer…
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Winter in Minnesota may be cold, but at least it’s sunny. That’s something gardeners can take comfort in and use to create a more interesting winter garden. As I am writing this, the temperature is hovering around 0 degrees F but the sun is bright as can be, reflecting off the snow. Cathy Rees, who I interviewed for the latest…
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The annual Marjorie McNeely Conservatory holiday flower show at Como Park in St. Paul is underway and it features holiday poinsettias you are unlikely to see in the grocery store or local flower shop. This year’s show highlights plants in autumnal oranges and yellows as well as deep reds. First, some poinsettia basics. The holiday poinsettias we decorate our homes…
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Growing peppers (hot or sweet) in a northern garden can be a challenge because they require a longer season and lots of heat. I have failed with peppers many times. But with some help from a hot, dry summer, this turned out to be a great year for growing peppers in pots. I learned more about what peppers need and…
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